How To Make New Year Resolutions...And Keep Them!

For those who want to turn over a new leaf this new year!

New year resolutions! All these years I was the worst culprit ever in this matter. I made big, dramatic resolutions, and the halo round my head stayed till Jan 5th. On the 6th, poof! It was gone with the wind!

Now, I'm older and wiser and managed to keep last year's resolutions. At least the more important ones. No, I didn't keep the one about keeping the loo seat down!

Okay, let's get down to our tricks:

1. Kill the drama.

No fun, but keep it realistic. You know about yourself. If you know you will smoke on the 5th, don't resolve to quit smoking. Or do it, but don't get back to a pack a day, thinking you can never do it. Smoke that one, but resolve to smoke five a day or less.

2. Make it fun.

Enjoy keeping your resolutions somehow. How? Like some intelligent soul made exercise fun by inventing aerobics, that's how. Get more kisses from your loved one by cutting down on cigarettes or garlic or whatever. I don't know, think of something.

3. Enlist support.

Don't make secret resolutions, which you can happily break without risking the image people have about your will power, if any. Take a risk and tell people, and ask them to support you. Once a girl I knew asked me to help her stop smoking. I grabbed the cigarette from her lips and flushed it down the loo. I mean business! That's the kind of mean support you need, not kindly friends and softie well wishers. Tough ones!

4. Make a pact.

Get someone else who have the same problem of fragile resolutions, and form a symbiotic team. You help them, they help you.

5. Make a plan.

Convert wishes to plans, as the biz whizzes say. See how you can convert your resolution into a workable plan with short term and long term targets. Go draw a graph or something. Any toy, if it helps.

6. Do it yourself

My wife has a list of resolutions she thinks I ought to make this new year. I sympathize with that long suffering soul, but it will be of no use. Some have resolutions thrust on them, but those won't even survive the 5th. Don't give in! Make your own!

6. Fall in love.

Now, there's a good trick! Atleast for starters. This is also like making it fun, If you really fall in love you will want to scale the sky and pluck the stars for her or him, and as the space program is full up, you can lose weight or take singing lessons instead, or whatever it is you resolve to do. No, Dear, not me, I'm only advising these nice young unmarried people here. Since she's peering over my shoulder, let me add an extra to this tip: Fall in love with your existing spouse! She or he may think you are bonkers, but you can start something or lose something for your beloved mate. Happy,O Light of my Life?

7. Write it down and pin it up.

That will give you top of the mind recall and shame you into keeping it. Though it's not a good idea to have 'I'll keep the toilet seat down,' next to 'Home Sweet Home!' Kills the ambience for guests, if you see what I mean.

8. Get spiritual.

This will help those vegan resolutions or the smoking and imbibing ones. This is as effective as falling in love, if sincere. Fall in love or raise the spirit! Same thing, don't they say, 'God is Love,' or the other way around?

9. Progress is as important as success.

That's a wise saying Confucius would have wished he said. Don' be disheartened by a break in your resolution. Was there progress? Ah, that's the way to go! From there.

Have fun on the New Year, don't drink and drive and most important: remember to make resolutions! Take care!

Comments

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Author

Ashok Rajagopalan 7 years agofrom Chennai

Thank you Darren! Shall come to your hub right away! :)

Darren Moverley 7 years agofrom Wales

An interesting read Kenny. I’ll be sure to take some of your advice. The idea of writing a resolution down is a great tip that I think i'll act upon. I too have written a hub designed to encourage people to adhere to their New Year’s resolutions entitled resolutions for New Year’s resolutions.

Author

Ashok Rajagopalan 9 years agofrom Chennai

Thank you Veronica. You are obviously a better friend to your friends than I am! Let me choose to be inspired by you and be a better friend this year onwards. I'm usually lazy in that area, and just be good friends with whom I am at that point of time.

Now, extending this, to really put it in the shere of practical politics,

I'm going to start with attending the 2008 alumni meet of my old school.

For this, many thanks! Happy New Year, and have a great time of loving and sharing!

Veronica 9 years agofrom NY

Nice advice!

I made a resolution a few years ago to be a better friend. Not that I was a bad friend, but you know how life can get, and I seemed to be putting off my friends because of my busy schedule with work, or travel, or family. You know how you might bump into an old friend and you say, &quot;We really have to get together soon!&quot; but then you just don't? Well, I resolved to stop doing that. And I had a fabulous year! I got closer to some long time friends, and I solidified some new friendships.

Every year since, I've resolved to keep it going. So far, so good.

Best to you in 2008 Kenny!

Author

Ashok Rajagopalan 9 years agofrom Chennai

Thank you, Isabella, all the best for your resolutions!

Isabella Snow 9 years ago

Great tips, Kenny, this sounds like a plan!

Author

Ashok Rajagopalan 9 years agofrom Chennai

Thank you, G-Ma, and best wishes to you, too! Will tell her now!

Merle Ann Johnson 9 years agofrom NW in the land of the Free

Sounds just like the person I think you are Kenny.....Many Greetings and Best Wishes to you and your dear wife....G-Ma :O)

Author

Ashok Rajagopalan 9 years agofrom Chennai

Thank you all for your insights, much appreciate your visit and comments!

Nice to see you here, Patty, welcome!

Compu-start, that was funny! At least you keep some of your resolutions!

Zsuzsy, way to go! Make only fun ones, and keep them, and have fun!

Falling in love with life and with health, Earth Angle? I wish I had said that? Please listen, friends, that's a great attitude!

Oh, G-Ma, thanks for saying I'm truthful and caring...

and wishing me luck! My wife appreciates having called her wise, too!

Frank, thanks for sharing your experience.

You are a better man than me, keeping the seat down! Women appreciate that!

Good luck to you and Val this year, and beyond!

I love your hics, Eileen!

Under duress is no fun, unless you love your bully! :)

I'm immensely grateful to my dear friends here for coming here!

Funnily, I feel proud that you all dropped in, but equally humbled, as well!

Wish you a great Xmas and a wonderful New year!

Love from Kenny

Eileen Hughes 9 years agofrom Northam Western Australia

Definitely stick to them, otherwise there's no point in making them in the first place. I know we all have good intentions, although most are made under duress. hic....hic...hic.

Good hub

MrMarmalade 9 years agofrom Sydney

I agree with 99% of everything you say. Cold Turkey is the way to go

I was drinking 7- 9 mugs of coffee a day.

Gave up cold turkey for three weeks Zilch

Val and I live five minutes from the beach, we go for a walk on the beach every day and stop at a different coffee bar every day for Val to have a cappuccino and me to have a black coffee.

Val made the comment last week it was no fun anymore her drinking her coffee and me sitting there do nothing. A big decision, will I ruin Val's coffee for my selfish reason? Only for the noblest of reasons.

Incidentally the toilet seat is not a problem to me. As I found out almost 50 years ago, it was a wise thing to to. Some one told me if you perform something 30 times it becomes a habit. It did.

Thank for a very good and amusing hub

Merle Ann Johnson 9 years agofrom NW in the land of the Free

Kenny what can we do without you? So truethful and caring and knows he has a wise wife behind him....you can easily re-new your love..when it is true..re - spark it often and always remember how Blessed you are. Keeping resolutions???well heck with it..Do what you can..make your list..lose it in a week and then start over..If there is something you truely want to make your life better with...you find the way..Good Luck I quit making them a long time ago...I just felt worse knowing I couldn't scratch even one off..Ha Ha :O) G-Ma :O)

Earth Angel 9 years ago

Another GREAT Hub Kenny!! Too, too funny!! I LOVE New Year's Resolutions!! I love resolutions all the time!! But that's because I only make ones, that with a wee bit of added discipline, I can keep!! You know, Californian's are obsessed with self-improvement!! I love your suggestions about falling in love!! With life, with health, with someone special like your spouse!! GREAT Hub Kenny!! Thanks for sharing!! Blessings, Earth Angel!!

Zsuzsy Bee 9 years agofrom Ontario/Canada

Good one! (Hub)

I've got my list ready, but I'm cheating this year.I'm only making resolutions that are fun and only the ones that I know I will be able to keep. (nothing to do with aerobics though) For the first time in my life I will be able to brag that I kept my new years resolutions. Ha!!!!!

Fun HUB Kenny!

regards Zsuzsy

Tony 9 years agofrom London UK

I have made many resolutions and break most of them:( including keeping the toilet seat down!! the reason for this is that i kept forgetting the seat was down &quot;hence my wet legs!! but i will try, i promise!! to keep them this year:)